National highway to SW China's quake zone blocked after landslide

A national highway to southwest China's Wenchuan County, the epicenter of the magnitude-8 Sichuan earthquake in 2008, was blocked after a landslide, local authorities said Sunday.

The landslide began at about 10 a.m. Saturday in Suoqiao Village. More than 10,000 cubic meters of rocks and mud blocked the No. 213 National Highway, a vital lifeline for the reconstruction of Wenchuan, said Li Jie, an official with the county's information office.

No casualties have been reported. Police were leading the traffic of several thousands of vehicles stranded on the road as of Sunday.

It was unsure when the traffic would resume as sporadic landslides were continuing, Li said.

The national highway was suspended on May 12 in 2008 due to the earthquake and on July 25 in 2009 after a rockfall hit a bridge. More than 10,000 vehicles cross the bridge every day.

Source: Xinhua